


Made in Heaven

by freesiafields



Series: Freddie Mercury Weekend 2020 [1]
Category: Queen (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Blushing, Boys Kissing, Coffee Shops, Developing Relationship, England (Country), Fluff, Freddie Mercury Weekend 2020, Freddie is new to England, Frian, Kissing, Kissing in the Rain, M/M, Rain, Shyness, coffee shop employee freddie mercury, is this just fantasy, maycury
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-05
Updated: 2020-06-05
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:46:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24557872
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/freesiafields/pseuds/freesiafields
Summary: Freddie Mercury is new to England and is trying to fit in. He is working at a coffee shop called Heaven, and it's not easy for him. Will everything eventually fall into its place when a certain Brian May step into the shop?
Relationships: Brian May/Freddie Mercury
Series: Freddie Mercury Weekend 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1777204
Comments: 8
Kudos: 26
Collections: Freddie Mercury Weekend 2020!





	Made in Heaven

**Author's Note:**

> My contribution to "Freddie Mercury Weekend 2020". It took me awfully long time to complete it. Also, I wrote this instead of my graduate thesis. Priorities.

Prompt: Coffee Shop AU \- "Wanna be intoxicated with that special brew..."

Freddie's POV

My family and I recently moved to London. We've only been here a few months, and it's hard for me to adjust. I feel alienated. Here, people, culture, and climate are different from where I come from. My parents insisted I should immediately find a job. I needed money, so I decided to look for a job somewhere near the area where we lived.

I got a job at a Coffee shop called Heaven. It was only a few bus stops away from where I lived. Since I had no friends in London, I thought this job would help me meet new people. This place was only recently opened, but it quickly became popular among young people. It was located on the ground floor of a hotel. It had huge semicircular windows. The interior was decorated in a retro style, with wooden round tables and chairs, hardwood floors and porcelain coffee cups. The place was not very big, there were only a few tables. A small glass vase of flowers was placed on each table. To the left of the entrance, on a shallow platform, was a coffee station and a display case with biscuits and snacks that were consumed with coffee. There was a school not far from Heaven. Often students and professors drank coffee hereafter the classes were finished for the day. The owners of the cafe were two middle-aged sisters, Zoe and Theodora.

Theodora was the older sister. She was always in a foul mood. Very grumpy and never satisfied. She was quite ugly, to be honest. She was missing a few teeth, her hair was thin and always gathered in a ponytail. She had a lot of wrinkles, which made her look much older than she was. Money was all she thought about. And probably the only thing she truly loved. Her sister Zoe was wise and down to earth. Her husband worked as a teacher in another city. Zoe wasn't a beauty either, but she was very good at heart. Since the café was new, they had no workers. I would be their first and only worker for all the jobs: cleaning toilets and windows and the station itself, scrubbing floors, working at the cash register, making coffee, selling snacks… They expected me to do all that. For a start, until they hire someone else. I agreed to everything just to earn a few pounds. I was planning to enroll in college and wanted to save some money to buy my own apartment.

I came to work early every morning at 8 o'clock, and sometimes I would work two shifts together. So far, several people have come for job interviews, but the sisters have not hired anyone yet. My first week at work was successfully coming to an end. I got my uniform, and I had a card with my name on it. I have to admit that I liked the uniform because it consisted of a yellow T-shirt and a white apron. Yellow is my favorite color. It reminded me of the warm days back in Zanzibar, during gloomy English weather. It seems that the sisters didn't mind that I had long hair and bangs. They didn't make me gather it in a ponytail or to cut it off.

I was still quite clumsy in balancing large trays packed with coffee cups. I was often distracted between all the tasks that Zoe and Theodora gave me minute by minute. Working with people was not easy, I always had to be smiling and kind. Even when I was nervous or in a bad mood, customers were not allowed to notice.

I came to work that rainy morning as usual. I automatically flipped the sign on the door from "close" to "open". I changed into a uniform and set the chairs in place. I was ready for the customers to come. The day went on as usual, although it was quite chaotic since it was raining and everyone wanted to take shelter somewhere where it was dry and drink hot coffee. It was crowded today. Theodora shot me a look whenever I passed by the door of the back room, which was located behind the coffee station. She was sitting there reading a newspaper. She showed me with her eyes that I should hurry. At the same time, she didn't do anything to make it easier for me, after all, I was still just a beginner. Any help would come in handy. Zoe at least washed the glasses and cups, and carefully arranged them back on the shelves. The stress was only growing in me. The only thing that comforted me was that my shift would end in just a few hours. It all started making my head spin. I leaned against the station with a deep sigh.

"Hey, kid! Move your ass! Did you come here to work or rest? Customers are waiting for you! Look at all those people!" Theodora yelled at me, looking at me angrily over the newspaper. She just needed a whip to make me feel like a slave here. Maybe she should change the name of the coffee shop to Hell?

"I am coming! I just wanted to drink a glass of water," I told her the truth. I longed for fresh air, but the cold water helped me more or less not to collapse at that very moment.

The doorbell rang again informing me that someone had entered the shop. "Wonderful, another customer," I thought to myself, rolling my eyes. "Come on, Freddie, brace yourself," I kept saying to myself.

A tall gentleman entered through the door, perhaps in his mid-20s. In his hand, he carried a book and the stack of papers on which was a text typed on a typewriter. I waited for him to sit down at the only remaining free table by the window and to make himself comfortable. I put on a fake smile, even though I didn't like to smile because everyone was staring at my protruding teeth. I approached his table to take his order.

"Hello, sir. Welcome to our Coffee shop! What would you like to order?" I asked politely.

"I'd like plain black coffee, with a little whipped cream on top. Bring me two coconut bars and a glass of water," he ordered.

"So, a black coffee, coconut bars, and a glass of water coming your way!" I replied cheerfully.

I turned on my heel and went behind the station. Of all the steam that came from making coffee, I felt too hot. The fact that I didn’t eat anything all day didn’t help me stay stable on my feet. When the coffee was ready, I carefully placed the two bars on the tray and headed back to that gentleman's table. My hands were shaking so that I could hear the cup rattling. When I was a few steps from his table, I slipped or felt dizzy. I wasn't even sure. Maybe it was a mix of both. Anyway, in the next second, a cup of hot coffee flew out of my hands. I caught it, but too late. Half of its content had already been spilled all over this young gentleman’s book, which already had yellowish looking pages.

“Have you lost your mind?! What the hell did you do?!” the young man shouted at me. He got up abruptly, took the book by its cover, and began to shake it to shake off the excess coffee from it. I watched the letters in the book melt in front of my very eyes. He was very tall, and his puffy, curly hair made him look even taller. I quickly took the cloth that had been slung over my arm and began to wipe the hot coffee off the table. My tongue tightened as he continued to yell at me, tears were welling up in my eyes. I lowered my head and stared at his clogs.

"I demand to speak with your boss!" he told me bluntly. I was very uncomfortable. All the guests were looking at us. I didn't want to cause a scene. When I heard he wanted to see Theodora, I looked at him with wide eyes. She would probably whip me cold-heartedly with her invisible whip.

I started begging him: “I am very sorry! Don't tell my boss! You don't have to pay for this coffee. I'll give it to you at the expense of the house. Please, I desperately need this job! I'm sorry about your book,” I replied quietly. And that's how I spent the last pound out of my pocket on spilled coffee. The money I needed for the bus ticket is gone. I'm going to have to walk home tonight.

"I have nothing from your apology! I need this book for my Ph.D., and you ruined it! Go to hell you and your coffee!” He flew out of the cafe. Some people started leaving because they were uncomfortable witnessing a scene like this. I felt terrible. I started cleaning up the mess I made.

Zoe, who saw all this, came to help me.

"For God's sake, child. What did you do? We have just opened this place, and we will already gain a bad reputation. Good thing you didn't break the coffee cup. Theodora would cut your head off for that,” she told me quietly. She helped me put everything away. But Theodora's sharp eye and ear registered everything. Theodora approached me with nervous, small, but quick steps. It didn't take her long to start hissing at me. She grabbed me by the arm and took me to the backroom. Zoe followed us. I was hoping that at least she would stand up for me.

"What do you think you're doing?" Theodora spoke to me in a low tone. “Everyone is watching you! First I find you resting, doing nothing, while your guests are waiting for you. Then when you finally start to work, you spill coffee on customers. Zoe washes the dishes for you. The floor is wet and muddy from the rain. Tomorrow, I'll send you to scrub the toilets all week. Maybe it will teach you a lesson!”

"Calm down, why did you attack this poor child. Can't you see how pale and frightened he is? He just came here, he still has a lot to learn about this job,” Zoe said. I just kept quiet, while the whole room was spinning around me faster and faster. Zoe added, “Come on, go home now. Take a rest and come again tomorrow.” She patted me on the shoulder and smiled at me.

"To _ take a rest! _ Do you hear yourself?! He doesn't do anything else but rest!” She had been yelling at Theodora now before she turned to me again: “If you leave now, don't come to work tomorrow! Not tomorrow, not any day after that!” Theodora continued to rage in the next good ten minutes.

I grabbed my jacket and ran out of the cafe without taking off my uniform. The fresh air hit me in the face. I tried to inhale it as much as possible to calm myself down. I looked up to prevent my tears from falling. I thought about how this week couldn't have ended better. I summarized the impressions in my head: I screwed up, I ran out of money paying the mistakes I made, my boss shouted at me, now I may have lost my job, I don't have money to buy a bus ticket, I'm going home by foot in a downpour…

"What else can happen to me today?" I said aloud, raising my hands to the sky. As an answer to my question, a car passed by me and splashed me from head to toe with dirty water from a huge puddle. I couldn't take it anymore. I sat on a nearby bench and cried how angry I was.

_______________________________

The following week passed peacefully and slowly. That Friday, it was as if I had experienced Deja Vu: the small bell on the entrance rang again, announcing the customer. The young gentleman, whom I spilled coffee on the book, came in again. He sat down at the same table by the window. I had just forgotten about him. I was very uncomfortable and my cheeks were burning. I tried to persuade Zoe to go and take his order instead of me. But she refused.

I approached his table, cleared my throat, and almost asked automatically: "What would you like to order?"

The young man looked up, raking me with his eyes from head to toe. He straightened up in his chair looking me in the face. I was pressing my lips together with nervousness and was trying to hide my gaze behind the bangs.

He paused for a moment, staring at the card with my name: "...Freddie. I'd like to apologize for yelling at you last time. I was nervous. I'm in the middle of writing my Ph.D., so I'm not in the best of mood. I reacted the way I did because it wasn't  _ my  _ book, I borrowed it from the library. But what we can do… These moments when I can just sit down and enjoy a cup of coffee, help me to relay a little and to concentrate better."

" _Y_ _ ou _ are sorry? You shouldn't be sorry for something I'm guilty of. I had a chaotic day. I didn't do it on purpose. I'll get you your coffee right away."

"It's okay. Let's forget about that unpleasant event," he said, waving his hand. "I'll take the same as last time - plain black coffee with a little whipped cream on top," he added. "My name is Brian. I'll be a regular guest here every Friday for a while," he added with a smile.

"Brian, I--."

"Less talking, more working!" I was interrupted by Theodora, who was passing by me at that moment, whipping me with her invisible whip.

Great, Brian seems to be one of those customers who always orders the same. I quickly made coffee for him and headed for his table. As I was approaching him, I got lost in my thoughts. He was beautiful, with very smooth skin and an equally smooth voice. His eyes were so warm, and those lips… and how could I forget about those legs that are so long he could barely fit them under the table? He has style, with his immaculately white shirt and velvet brown pants. What’s about the clogs he wears? That seemed a little strange to me.

"Young man, this is not the coffee I ordered!" an old lady shouted after me. I looked around and saw that I was so engrossed in my thoughts, that I missed Brian's table, and I gave his coffee to the wrong person. I wanted to slap myself. I came back, apologizing. I took the coffee and gave it to Brian.

Theodora immediately rushed up to me, red in the face: "You can't give a customer coffee that was on someone else's table! Throw it away and start making from scratch! Another mistake and I'll kick you out of here!"

I didn't expect Brian to stand up in my defense, but he did. He told her: "The lady didn't even touch my coffee. As soon as she looked at it, she saw it wasn't hers and she intervened. I don't mind, I will keep it." He took one sip and added with wide eyes, "Uh, It's so good. I'll give you a big tip for this." And he literally paid me right away. As he handed me the money, our hands touched. He had such narrow, elegant hands with slender, long fingers. I was blushing severely, thinking I'm going to die. My shyness will be death to me.

After it, Theodora told me I was free for today, and I went home, leaving Brian at the coffee shop to enjoy his drink.

____________

The third week at work I spent in anticipation. Every time I heard the bell ring, I hoped Brian had come. I wondered if he would come this Friday as well. I don't know what I expected from it, but I couldn't get it out of my head. Maybe because an accident would always happen to me when he's here. I couldn’t allow myself to make another mistake. I learned how to balance multiple cups in one hand while handing over the bill with the other hand. I moved skillfully between the tables, and I became much faster in cleaning the tables and setting them up for the next customer. I felt like I was slowly breaking from my shell because I was engaged all day in some sort of conversation with people in one way or another.

Another Friday, another Deja Vu. I thought destiny was starting to play games with me. It was raining cats and dogs. Heaven was full again. Despite the gloomy weather, I was in a good mood. It was Friday, which meant Brian might come today. I don’t know why I was expecting so much for Brian to come, and why was my heart pounding so much? I didn't even know him. He certainly wouldn't like me. Not with teeth like this. Besides, he probably wasn't single. I concluded that he had all the qualities: he was smart, handsome, mature for his age. He knew how to stand up for himself and for others, which I experienced on my own skin. Why would such a person be single?

I worked like crazy. Despite the big crowd, I managed to achieve everything. It could be said that I mastered this job. Zoe told me she was proud of me for being such a hard worker, and she told me she would give me extra days off. And that she will hire another worker to make my shifts shorter. She heard that I wanted to enroll in college, so she wanted to give me more free time to study for the entrance exam. These words of hers were like the wind in my back. I felt very happy and confident. I will save enough money to buy an apartment. I will enroll in college and meet new friends there. I will have a regular job… Only if I could find somebody to love...

The well-known sound of a bell brought me back into reality. I saw a pair of warm eyes that I had been waiting for all along. That was Brian. I waved at him and smiled broadly. He sat at his usual place by the window.

"Hello, darling," I said. “Would you like the same as usual? Black coffee with a little whipped cream on top? ”

"You know what, Freddie? Bring me the coffee of your choice this time," he said.

"Would you like to have a snack with that? Today we got new chocolate muffins with raisins,” I said, leaning my elbows on his table.

"Can you pack me a couple of muffins to bring along with me?" he asked.

"Of course, dear!" I said with a wide smile, tossing my hair back with my hand for a good measure.

I went behind the coffee station and started making coffee. “Don’t fuck up this time,” I thought to myself. "Okay, think about what kind of coffee Brian would like. Does he want something simple? Does he want something different that he's never tried before? He always ordered boring black coffee by far. Maybe I should make him the same thing again and just put something else on top of it..."

I shook my head to clear my mind.

"Stop overthinking, Freddie," I told myself. “Just brew him something. Now you will make up for all the mistakes you have made so far. ” I was determined. I made him a coffee with a lot of foam. I added a little bit of coconut milk, vanilla powder, and just a dash of caramel syrup for a rich taste. And finally, I sprinkled a little bit of cocoa powder on top just for a visual effect. While I was making coffee, I caught myself singing some silly song I wrote.

It went something like this:

_ Another party is over _

_ And I'm left cold sober _

_ Baby left me for somebody new _

_ I don't want to talk about it _

_ Want to forget about it _

_ Wanna be intoxicated with that special brew _

_ So come and get me... _

I noticed that Brian was watching me, so I blushed and stopped singing.

I placed a hot coffee and a glass of water in front of him.

“Here you go! I hope you’ll like it. I tried my best. Enjoy!”

"It must be good when it is prepared with the song. What did you sing? I've never heard that song before."

“Of course you didn’t, dear! That’s because I wrote it,” I said.

"If I ever need a singer, I'll know where to look. You know, I have my own band. It’s called Smile.”

“Well, dear, I certainly don’t think I have a _smile_ for that,” I comically said pointing to my protruding teeth.

“Oh, don’t be ridiculous! I think you are beautiful! ” Brian said without hesitation.

"Well, thank you," I said quietly. I wished for the ground to open.

Brian took a sip of his coffee, licking his lips like he’s examining the taste.

“It’s so good! I love it! How much do I owe you?" Brian asked, already pulling out his wallet.

"It's 15 pounds."

“15 pounds?! That's too expensive for a coffee!”

"What can I do? I have expensive taste! I'll give it to you for 10 p. Just because you told me that I'm beautiful," I said sweetly. "But you still have to pay for muffins."

“Alright. Let it be. I'll leave you a tip too!” he shouted after me as I went back to take the muffins I had already carefully packed in a small cardboard box.

“You are my favorite customer!” I said with a wink.

___________________________________

My shift for that day was over. I mopped the floors and set the chairs upside down on the tables. I changed into my regular clothing, put on my jacket, and headed home. It was already getting dark, and the rain was still falling tirelessly. I realized I had forgotten the umbrella in Heaven, but I couldn’t bother returning to the shop. I decided to stand under an awning of the bookstore and wait a few minutes for the storm to pass. I sighed deeply, breathing in the fresh air. I closed my eyes and rested my head on the window behind me. I felt someone's hand on my shoulder, and I heard someone call my name. I opened my eyes and met the same brown eyes that were already so familiar to me. Brian wore a long beige raincoat. He held a box of muffins under his arm.

“Freddie! What are you doing here? You will catch a cold. Your hair is completely wet!” he said as his hand was still resting on my shoulder. "I saw you through the bookstore window. Look, I bought a new book,” he said jokingly.

“Don’t worry. I was just on my way home. My bus will be here shortly.”

"Freddie… I wanted to ask you something… Would you like to go out with me sometimes? Maybe for a coffee?"

"Honey, I work in a coffee shop. I don't think I'll drink coffee for the rest of my life," I said laughing.

"Alright. How about some ice cream? Beer maybe? Would you like to go to the movies?"

"Slow down, dear! You have to show me the city first because I just moved here. But we can totally eat those muffins now, while we wait," I said smiling without showing my teeth.

"Sorry if I am too pushy. I have to tell you this, or I'll die. I liked you the first day I saw you. I know we didn't have the best start. I don't know what you poured into my coffee, but I kept thinking about you. You are very unusual. You have an unusual beauty, and it seems to me that you are equally beautiful on the inside as well. I would like to go out with you someday. I will take you to see the city if that’s what you want."

I didn't know what to say to this. I felt so stupid that my tongue was tied. Did he just declare his love for me? You're just going to stand there without saying a word? What will Brian think? Come on, say something! I tried to make my brain work. I was too shy to tell him I liked him too. My neck ached from looking up at his face, so I lowered my gaze. I was so confident all day, and I thought I was slowly getting out of my shell. And look at me now! I can't say three words! I felt like all my efforts so far had been in vain.

"Awww, are you blushing? Don't be shy, Freddie!" Brian put his hand under my chin running his thumb over my cheekbone.

I tilted my head shrugging. The next moment our lips met. He had soft lips and was very gentle. Brian was so tall that I had to stand on my toes, stretching my body as much as I could. In order not to lose my balance, I held on to the collar of his raincoat with one hand and placed my other hand behind his neck. My cheeks were burning even though I was cold. I could taste the coffee, I had prepared for him earlier today, on his tongue. It was creamy, sweet, and at the same time rich in taste. Maybe I was thinking about this exact moment when I wrote that verse:  _ Wanna be intoxicated with that special brew _ . I felt weak in my knees. If it weren't for Brian's hand holding me around the waist, I would probably end up falling on the wet sidewalk. I was afraid to open my eyes, thinking that all this was just a dream. But I did it anyway. And it's good that I did because I saw that the bus was already standing at the station.

I gasped: "My bus is here! I have to go! Call me!"

"But I don't have your number!" Brian shouted after me as I ran to the bus.

I showed him with my hand and eyes at the cardboard box with muffins he was holding. I ran to the bus and quickly wiped the fogged window with the palm of my hand. I sent him a kiss and waved him goodbye until he was out of my sight. I truly felt like my new life in England was just starting.

**Author's Note:**

> If you have any prompts or questions, please send them to me on my Tumblr: freesiafields.tumblr.com


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